Starbucks drops T-Mobile for in-store Wi-Fi, adopt AT&amp;T

A few weeks back, I opined on coffee seller Starbucks' recent problems. One of the points I made was that the company just didn't get it when it comes to wireless access: While virtually every other coffee shop on earth is offering free Wi-Fi, Starbucks continued to sell it (via T-Mobile) for extravagant prices. But today, the company announced that it was making a change, one that partially addresses my concern.

AT&T and Starbucks today announced plans to deliver AT&T Wi-FiSM service at more than 7,000 company-operated Starbucks locations across the United States ... Starbucks and AT&T will offer a mix of free and paid Wi-Fi offerings at Starbucks stores to meet the needs of both frequent and occasional Starbucks Wi-Fi customers.

Beginning this spring, Starbucks Card holders can enjoy up to two hours of free Wi-Fi service per day at Starbucks locations offering Wi-Fi access, while more than 12 million qualifying AT&T broadband and AT&T U-verseSM Internet customers will have unlimited free access to the Wi-Fi service. In addition, more than 5 million of AT&T’s remote access services business customers will be able to access Wi-Fi service at Starbucks locations. AT&T will soon extend the benefits of Wi-Fi at Starbucks to its wireless customers.

In addition to the free Wi-Fi access for qualifying AT&T customers and any Starbucks Card holder, customers will be able to purchase tiered access to the AT&T Wi-Fi network at Starbucks at attractive price points. For a two-hour period, customers will pay just $3.99 per session. Monthly membership will also be available for $19.99 per month, and will include access to any of AT&T’s 70,000 hot spots in 89 countries around the world.

So, this is better than nothing. But why doesn't Starbucks just embrace free Wi-Fi across the board? That's a rhetorical question, obviously: I understand there's money involved. But if Starbucks is really concerned about "the experience," it should understand that the experience of signing up for and logging into Wi-Fi at Starbucks, even with this change, is lousy.

Discuss this Article 4

Mate, you don't know how good you Americans have it getting free wi-fi at all - here in Australia almost all wi-fi hotspots go exclusively through Telstra, our largest telco, and they charge you an arm and a leg - $5 for the first 15 minutes if you use your credit card.

I would expect their biggest concern is people hanging out all day and never buying anything. It's more of a concern for them because they have locations everywhere.
It seems to me that two hours when using their card is quite nice (how often do you spend more time than that there in one sitting?). If you want another couple hours, $3.99 isn't bad.
Also, the $19.99 unlimited is a nice deal since it encompasses a lot more than just Starbucks.

there are still a few other places for good coffee and free WiFi, that are less expensive. I have used them on vacation at the Jersey shore for the past 2 yrs. Starbucks needs to catch up. I think that their price structure is killing them.